Edward Balls: I am today announcing the publication of a new, cross-government strategy document "Next steps for early learning and childcare: building on the 10-Year Strategy" for England.
	Five years into our 10-Year Strategy, it is the right time to take stock, identify and address new and future challenges as we move progressively towards the establishment of early learning and childcare as a modern, universal public service for all families.
	We have come a long way in delivering on the agenda that we set ourselves in 2004. Thanks to hard work across the sector, parents now have access to more flexible, affordable and better quality early learning and childcare than ever before, and many more families are benefiting from new rights and services. It will take time for the children who have had these opportunities to demonstrate the long-term benefits, but there are already signs that changes could help promote the social mobility of future generations. The latest foundation stage profile results show that 21,000 more children achieved a good level of development at age 5 than the previous year. And the lowest achievers are starting to catch up; the gap between their achievement and their peers has narrowed for the first time.
	We are determined to keep improving early learning and childcare because these are crucial long-term investments. Good quality early learning and childcare is vital for ensuring all children, but especially the most disadvantaged, reach their full potential. It supports parents into employment—which is the best way out of poverty. And it relieves the time and emotional pressures that families face in balancing work and home life. In a time of global economic downturn, where parents face increased financial and emotional pressures, these priorities are as important as ever.
	Alongside the recent New Opportunities White Paper, this document sets out some clear commitments and firm proposals. In other areas we have identified the case for action and need to develop plans through discussion and consultation. We want this to be the beginning of a wider conversation with parents, people who work in the sector, providers, agencies, children and local government—about how we can meet these challenges. That is why, the Government are also launching today a consultation on our plans to enshrine our historic goal of eradicating child poverty into law—"Ending Child Poverty: Making it Happen"—and publishing a discussion paper on a new framework to help many more parents with younger children and employment and support allowance claimants to prepare for work—"Personalised Conditionally And Support", the Gregg review.
	We will place copies of the document "Next Steps in Early Learning and Childcare" in the Libraries of both Houses.

James Purnell: In December 2008 Professor Paul Gregg published his review on the effectiveness of the balance of expectations and support for working age benefit claimants. This was entitled "Realising Potential: A Vision for Personalised Conditionally and Support". Copies are available in the Library of the House.
	Today my department is publishing a discussion paper setting out further details about how it intends to take forward the recommendations of that review to help many more parents with younger children and employment and support allowance claimants to prepare for work.
	We believe that developing the 'Progression to Work' approach, proposed by the Gregg Review, will support families, promote employment and help eradicate child poverty. Therefore this discussion paper outlines our latest thinking on how this approach will be designed and tested out. The framework we plan to establish is one where more claimants:
	Actively engage with their adviser on an ongoing basis;
	Consider, discuss and agree an Action Plan comprising activities they think will improve their prospects of moving back into work; and
	Undertake these agreed work preparation activities as part of their own journey towards employment.
	This means creating a model where advisers have the necessary skills and capabilities to encourage claimants to co-own, co-produce and take responsibility for their journey back to work.
	We want to test the full model proposed by Professor Gregg of higher support and expectations. Because we know that the availability of childcare is so central to enabling parents to realise their aspirations for paid work, we will pay for any additional childcare that claimants need to carry out their action plan. We will also test out whether offering an improved financial incentive for parents to try out work supports them make the full transition from benefits to work.
	The current Welfare Reform Bill aims to create the necessary legislation for this approach, initially through a series of pathfinders, subject to parliamentary approval. These pathfinders will cover around a fifth of new and existing ESA claimants and a similar proportion of parents with younger children. Parents with a youngest child aged between one and two will be expected to engage with an adviser and agree an action plan, but undertaking work preparation activities will be voluntary.
	This paper is aimed at stakeholder organisations and other interested parties to enable further, more detailed discussions to take place as we move through policy development towards implementation.
	Copies of "Realising Potential: developing personalised conditionality and support: A discussion paper on next steps in implementing the Gregg Review" will be placed in the Library of the House.